Over the next few years, the company plans to launch more SUVs, including a smaller BX3 model due to be revealed at the Beijing motor show in April next year.

Beyond that, saloon and coupé models are planned, some of them electric, alongside electric versions of some of the firm’s SUV models.

The old German marque is Chinese-owned and funded, with design and development split between Germany and China. Its Stuttgart-based design team is some 30 strong.

It launched first in China to build a track record of building cars and a brand, before its assault on Europe. Its design boss, ex-Mini design chief Anders Warming, said that building a strong brand for Borgward was of crucial importance if it was to be a success.

“Borgward is not just one car,” said Warming. “There are many different vehicle concepts that can look very different.

“We must make them instantly recognisable as Borgward, so people know the brand. That will be key to our success.”

European sales will start first in Germany and the German-speaking markets of Austria and Switzerland. Borgward’s market research suggests some 50% of Germans are aware of the Borgward brand from the past, but not many are aware of any models or what it stands for.

The cars will be sold online only at first, with Borgward also set to partner with a company that can handle servicing – the customer’s car will be picked up from their home and delivered back to them.

The BX7 is already homologated for sale in Europe, with the BX5 set to follow by the end of the year. The BX7 is left-hand drive at present, while the BX5 has been engineered for right-hand drive, although UK sales are a more distant goal for Borgward and an Australian launch is more likely to happen first, according to marketing chief Tom Anliker.